An Unknown Hero of Sorts

Have you ever wondered about the artists that painted all the Indian Chiefs? Well this post is about one that I became familiar with because he was a cousin of a very close friend. They have some of his Conte crayon drawings as well as the baskets that were given to him by the members of the tribes he would go and paint.

E.A. Burbank led a very interesting life and I have enjoyed reading about his committment to what he did and how he befriended the chiefs. He is the only known artist to have painted Geronimo in a live sitting.

The following are some of his portraits that he did through the years.



E. A. Burbank, Pog-Ah-Ninnie-Ah-Ey (Santa Clara), 1909, Conte Crayon on Paper, 14" x 9"

Elbridge Ayer Burbank was born in Harvard, IL in 1858. After studying at the Chicago Art Academy, he received a commission to illustrate Northwest magazine, essentially an advertisement published to encourage homesteading. The traveling entailed in finishing this commission brought Burbank through Montana, Idaho and Washington, and fostered a profound appreciation for the American West in him.



E. A. Burbank, Mission San Juan Capistrano of California, Circa 1895-1900, Oil on Canvas on Board, 4" x 6"

After the completion of the Northwest project, E. A. Burbank went to Munich to study, where he met J.H. Sharp and William R. Leigh, who would remain lifelong friends. As did countless other artists who met Sharp, E. A. Burbank became focused on traveling and painting the Indian people of the Southwest. When he returned from Germany, he was hired by his uncle, Edward Ayer, the first president of the Field Columbian Museum, to paint portraits of the great Indian leaders of the day. Elbridge A. Burbank took on the project and, once completed, did not stop, continuously traveling around the country painting as many Indian subjects as he could.



E. A. Burbank, Rain in the Face Sioux - 1897 Conte Crayon on Paper, 14" x 9"

All told, E. A. Burbank painted over 1200 Indian portraits in his lifetime. His travels put him in contact with some of the prominent figures of the West, including Lorenzo Hubbell, who he counted amongst his better friends, and Geronimo, whose portrait he painted and who is rumored to have said that he liked Burbank better than any other white man he ever met. Today, E. A. Burbank's work can be seen in the collections of the Newberry Library in Chicago, the Smithsonian and the Field Museum. After almost twenty years spent in insane asylums, Elbridge Ayer Burbank died in 1949 of injuries sustained from being struck by a cable car in downtown San Francisco.




E. A. Burbank, Taos Indian Village, Oil on Canvas on Board, 4" x 6



Red Woman Southern Cheyene



Chief Geronimo Apache




Zy-you-wah-moqui



Gi-aum-E-Hon-O-Me-Tah, Kiowa




Si-We-Ka, Pueblo

Since I'm not able to paint because I'm helping my daughter. I thought I would posts some interesting stories about some of the artists that may or may not be well known, but have an interesting past.

My daughter just had a baby about 4 weeks ago and then came down with a bug so I came back to help her out. Poor thing, I'm so thankful I've been able to help out. Except yesterday my back gave out on me and I now I am in terrible pain. But it will pass when I'm able to let it rest a bit. I had back surgery about 10 years ago and while it is better than it was, I cant over do it or I get down. I also have to be careful not to rupture the discs above the one that was fused. Gosh I wouldn't wish this mess on my worst enemy if I had an enemy! LOL this is why I posted about Freda Kaylo the other day. I can relate how art saved her at her lowest points. For a short time you are so involved in creating something beautiful, you hope, that you forget about the pain.

More interesting facts and paintings by Elbridge Ayers Burbank:
His commitment

Just Google E.A. Burbank and you will find more on this interesting fellow.

Additional Art Links:
ArtUFind.com
ArtUTrade.com
MedicineManGallery.com
SantaFeArtGalleries.net
CanyonRoadArts.com
TaosArtGalleries.net
AlbuquerqueArtGalleries.net




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